LOOKING CLOSELY AT
An Impression of the Collection
Nature in art
John Peter Russell was the only
Australian painter to benefit
from personal and direct contact
with the French Impressionist and
Post-Impressionist painters in the
1880s, during his expatriate
years in Europe.
“I am a painter of nature, of
nature’s moods, of sunlight and
the changing temper of the
sea”, Russell said of himself.
Rodin writing to his friend in
1890 said: “I am very happy,
dear friend, for you that you
cling so enthusiastically to nature.
I am sure that your art is now
full of sincerity and movement.”
John Peter Russell, was born in
Sydney in 1858, where, after
travelling overseas, he attended
art classes. Russell was attracted
to Japanese woodcuts and
Chinese painting on his travels
and returned with a large collection. After working in the
family firm for a brief time, he
returned to Europe with the
intention of being a painter.
Belle-Ile-en-Mer
Further studies followed in
London and Paris before he and
his family visited Belle-Ile-enMer, an island off the Brittany
coast. Here he met and became
good friends with Claude Monet
who mistook him for an
American! Russell built a house
and lived and painted on BelleIle-en-Mer for 20 years from
1886 onwards, with excursions
to other parts of Europe.
Russell’s first wife was a model
for French sculptor Auguste
Rodin and amongst the friends
and acquaintances of the Russell
family were artists Sisley, Van
Gogh, and Matisse.
Australian impressionism
In the late 1880s a group of
Australian artists that included
Streeton, Roberts and Conder,
exhibited works that applied the
Impressionist style and approach
to Australian subject matter.
Russell stands apart from this
group in that their work was
less experimental and more
anecdotal and often had a
strong narrative element.
John Peter Russell Les aiguilles de Belle-ile. c 1890. Oil on canvas. Detail
French Impressionism
Impressionism as a style in art flourished in France in
the late 19th century. The term was first used to describe
an exhibition of independent artists held in Paris in
1874. The movement was anti-academic but grew out
of traditions of landscape painting and realism. The
word was already in general use by writers on psychology
and art to describe the immediate effect of a perception.
The works exhibited looked unfinished and this seemed
an appropriate way to classify them. Claude Monet’s
painting Impression, Sunrise (1873) came to somehow
characterise the movement.
The method of working was to use small, fragmented
brushstrokes and intense colour in an attempt to find the
technical means to express individual sensation. The
paintings are non-narrative and depict landscapes or
scenes of modern life, especially of the leisure activities
of the middle class. Direct contact with nature was
emphasised and often the paintings are small giving an
impression of the visual appearance of a subject rather
than a precise notation.
Paris attracted young artists from all over the world,
who then carried Impressionist ideas back to their own
countries.
Form and colour are the two
main characteristics of the work
of John Peter Russell. However
he never became involved in
colour perception theories, and
showed a complete lack of interest
in the possibilities of a more
emotive or expressive use of
colour.
Colour and light
How to capture, in the purest
and brightest colours, the play
of light in nature preoccupied
both the French Impressionists of
the 1870s and Russell. He was
interested in the lighting effects
experienced at different hours of
the day. Monet expressed his
interest in this effect by painting
series of works - haystacks, his
garden; Russell’s experiments
were more spasmodic and not
consistent.
One of the overriding concerns
of the work of John Peter Russell
was how to capture as quickly
as possible the brilliance of
colour in nature in the simplest
possible way. This consisted not
of hasty sketches but in finished
work in which the purity of colour
and intention is maintained.
As Russell was reluctant to
exhibit during his lifetime and
did not rely on the sale of his
work to survive, recognition of
his place and importance in
Australian art has been slow.
Art changes the way we see the world
Produced by the Art Gallery of Western Australia with the aim of making art more accessible for visitors
Copyright Art Gallery of Western Australia 2004
LOOKING CLOSELY AT
John Peter Russell
A non-conventional perspective
Many of the Impressionist painters had an interest in Japanese
prints and photography and incorporated non-Western perspective,
simple outlines, lack of modelling, flat areas of colour, and other
stylistic elements into their work. Conventional perspective is not
employed in this work. There is a flattening of the scene and the
sky does not seem to be separated from the sea. The horizon is
not obvious.
Distance and perception
What do you see if you stand close to the painting? What then
happens when you step back and view it from a distance? Does
the colour change? Do you see different colours? What detail do
you see when close? Do you see the scene differently from a distance?
Mood
Russell has been quoted as
saying that he wanted to paint
nature’s moods. Do you think
he has succeeded? Does what
you are looking at affect your
mood?
Size and scale
Do you know how big these
rocks are? What is the size of
each element in relation to each
other? How far can you see?
There is nothing in the distance
by which you are able to estimate
and judge size and scale in the
work. Are you uncomfortable
with this seeming lack of
detailed information?
What does the shape of the
rocks tell you about the nature
of this place? Do these rocks
give you an indication of what
the coast is like? There is
movement in the water which
tells you about the wind and
the weather and if this is a
dangerous coast.
Artist’s viewpoint
What is the artist’s viewpoint
of this scene? Where is he
positioned in relation to the
rocks - above or below them?
John Peter Russell Les aiguilles de Belle-Ile. c 1890. Oil on canvas
Impressionism in Australia
Russell is separated from other
Australian Impressionist artists
in that there is no narrative in
his work. The emphasis is on
the landscape; there are no people engaged in activities by
which the artist is telling a
story. It is the artist’s intention
to depict the power and magnitude of nature.
Artists at Belle-Ile
Monet also painted these rocks at Belle-Ile. Both Monet and
Russell were trying to capture the changing mood and light.
Russell speaks of trying to capture the “changing temper of the
sea”. The artist is also trying to share his experience with the
viewer by describing the mood and atmosphere on a particular
day. What mood do you think is represented?
Principal Partner 2004
Brushstrokes
Notice that the texture and
pattern of the brushstrokes
changes in various areas of
the painting. What kind of
brushstrokes are there? Has
only one kind of brush been
used or can you see a variation
in the brushstrokes? Is there a
sense of urgency about the
work or has it been carefully
considered? Both thick and
thin paint has been used.